The field of the present invention is safety mechanisms for covering protruding elements.
Commercial play yards for children such as those associated with fast food restaurants have been developed for the safe entertainment of children. Most commonly, such play yards have a structural frame of 2" pipe with foam padding wrapped about the full length of pipe where it is accessible by children using the equipment. The wrapping is frequently of 1" foamed plastic extruded in a tube configuration with an inner diameter approximately the outer diameter of the pipe to which it is to be associated. To assemble the padding with the pipe, the padding tube is slit longitudinally almost through. Sheets wrapped about the pipe may also be used. The pipe is then covered such that the padding has an abutting slit or seam parallel to the axis of the pipe.
To retain the padding in place on the pipe frame, plastic ties are employed. These ties include a tie strap and a tie head. The tie strap and head are integrally formed. The head includes a passageway therethrough with a locking element to receive and grip the end of the tie strap when brought into a loop with the head.
In operation, padding is placed on the pipe and ties are looped about the padding with the ends of the tie straps being locked into the tie heads, respectively. As excessive length is provided on the tie strap, once the tie is tightly positioned on the padding, the excess tie strap extending from the tie head is cut off. The resulting new end of the tie strap may then be heated to blunt the edges thereof. However, the head itself as well as the end of the tie strap does provide a rigid protruding element on the padding which may hurt a youngster falling against the frame at the tie head.